The Use Of A.D.E Forte In Guernsey Dairy Cows
What is A.D.E Forte
It’s a clear intramuscular injectable solution available in 100ml bottles, used a dose rate of 1ml per 100kg ( 6 – 7 ml per cow ) one injection lasts 2-3months at a cost of £1.32 per cow.
How It Was Used
Initially I gave the first injection at 3 weeks post calving, after 3 months I started using it at drying off and then at 3 weeks post calving with 2 monthly tops ups if needed.
What Do Vitamins A. D. E Do?
Vitamin A ( Beta Carotene)
Modern high production cows use very large amounts of
Vitamin A. These requirements increase with yield. It’s used by the cow for eyesight and reproduction (its found in high concentrations in the ovaries ) and mostly comes from grazed forage.
Vitamin D
Is synthesized by sunlight in the cow’s skin and in plants. However storage of forage depletes Vitamin D reserves so in the winter the cow will require supplementation, it’s important in the transfer of calcium within the body.
Vitamin E
Destroys free radicals formed during fat mobilisation which inhibit enzymes & cause damage to cell membranes causing early foetal loss, cystic ovaries & retained placentas.
Most Vitamin supplements contain Selenium which works like Vitamin E but crucially does not work properly without the presence of Vitamin E. A.D.E Forte contains Vitamin E and not Selenium. Therefore working with the Selenium in feed to improve total Vitamin E response.
The Reasons For Using A.D.E Forte & The Results
Since coming to Fairfield Farm in July 2011 we have experienced very poor fertility, typically 20% conception rate or 5 services per conception, with an infertility rate of 20% or 20 cows per year that were leaving the farm unnecessarily!
We started using A.D.E Forte in December 2013 after noticing a sudden peak in fertility in the spring of 2013!
During the winter we feed a partial TMR plus cake to yield in the parlour. The TMR is formulated for M + 18 litres @ 5.25 % BF & 3.75 % P. This means that in the winter we can guarantee energy intakes are optimal for conception.
During the summer we graze grass & feed cake in the parlour. In the summer months energy levels tend to reflect the weather & the fertility levels are often variable!
During the winter of 2013 / 2014 conception rates responded well reaching a peak in February of 40%! Forage shortages in March meant cows were turned out early on to poor grass growth and fertility levels suffered as a result dropping back to 22% . In April the grass grew and conception rates recovered as a result to 35%. May saw another dip in fertility (20%) I shut up a lot of grazing for Silage as quality was dropping, once that grass returned to the rotation after first cut, June figures improved to 25%, this farm is very dry. June saw hot weather and by July the grass had stopped growing so we started feeding TMR again in July which saw fertility climb to 35%.
Conclusion
There is no doubt that energy is the key driver of fertility! However on this herd A.D.E Forte appears to have increased the fertility rates from an average of 20% in 2012 / 2013, to an average of 33% in 2014 or from 5 serves / conception down to 3 serves, this has made a huge difference to culls for infertility down from 20 cows in 2012 / 2013 to so far in 2014 just 2 cows. The cost to benefit ratio of this product is massive and I would recommend to anyone who is worried about their fertility to try using A.D.E Forte.
Availability
A.D.E Forte is available in Europe but not available for general use in the U.K. However our vets ( Mole Care Farm Vets formerly known as St. David’s Farm Practice )have a special import licence & we can supply from the farm at cost plus P&P.
If you would like to discuss this article further or order some A.D.E Forte please phone me on 07776168361
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